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July 21, 2006

Wakefield's Rib

The Red Sox have very little idea how Tim Wakefield suffered a stress fracture in one of his ribs. Terry Francona:

He thought he slept wrong originally, and he may have. When it turned into this, it's hard to tell. He could have done it sneezing. He doesn't remember one incident. ... He's actually been pitching with pain for a month to six weeks. The bone scan shows there's significant healing now, which is good. ... There's a chance we could have him back with us - best-case scenario - in three weeks. I think four weeks is probably more realistic.

And predictably, the questions are shouted throughout the Nation and sports radio: Is Wake is faking his injury? Why did all this talk of a bad back come out of the blue? Why does Wakefield need four weeks of vacation? ... Is that Tim McCarver quipping that the hardest thing for Tim to do is remember which side to sleep on? It's not? Oh, right, Wake's white, so the media doesn't spew shit about his physical ailments. Carry on.

It's only the second time in his 13-year career that Wakefield has gone on the DL (April 23-May 6, 1997, elbow inflammation). ... On Tuesday, Jason Varitek (in his 9th full season in Boston) set a Red Sox record by catching his 991st game, passing Carlton Fisk.

Making up the May 14 rainout yesterday meant the Rangers had a very busy Thursday. After playing Wednesday night in Toronto, they left their hotel at 8 AM and took off for Boston at 9:30. They arrived at Logan around 11:00 and drove to the park. After losing the 2 PM game, they headed back to the airport and flew to Chicago. If there was ever a time for greenies ...

The four times in team history the Sox have won back-to-back 1-0 games:

More on the 1-0 wins: From Mark Teahan's second-inning single on Tuesday to Angel Berroa's double leading off the third on Wednesday, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon and Josh Beckett recorded 29 outs without allowing a hit. ... Lester became the first Red Sox rookie to start a one-hitter since 1967, when Billy Rohr pitched 8.2 no-hit innings at Yankee Stadium on April 14, 1967, before allowing a single to Elston Howard. ... And Lester is the Sox's first rookie left-handed starter to win his first five decisions (righty rookie Aaron Sele won his first six decisions in 1993).

6 comments:

Somebody please assure me that Buster Olney's story about the Sox peddling Mike Lowell to the Padres for pitching is fantasy. What an awful idea! Weaken firts and 3rd defensively (moving Youk to 3rd) AND hurting the offense...I don't care WHO the pitcher is you get in return.

Ok, I'd perhaps gulp hard and do it for Peavy, assuming there was a better first-baseman in the pipeline than Choi. But that won't happen, Redsock, you're right. This rumor makes zero sense, though I generally don't trust Buster anyway.

Behind some decent journalistic chops and his usually entertaining insights on ESPN, Buster Olney is a Yankee sympathizer at heart. Trust at your own risk.

However tempting the prospects of seeing Jake Peavy or Chris Young in our rotation might be, I can't bear the thought of Lowell leaving town along with all those two-baggers, his glove, and leadership.

Buster Olney hates the Yankees. He was the New York Times Yankees beat writer for several years, and had to overcome his revulsion to write about them. He gained a grudging respect for the 1998-99-00 teams, but is no fan of the organization.